And Then There Was You
by Aki T
Summary: A brief look at Akito's thoughts toward Sana. My first Kodocha fic, so be nice. CONTAINS SPOILERS! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE WHOLE SERIES! Please review. Thanks! ;


And Then There Was You  
  
Disclaimer – Kodocha is property of Obana-sama. Not me. Though I wish I owned Akito . . .  
  
Summary – A brief look into Akito's thoughts towards Sana. Contains spoilers. Please read and review! Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
And Then There Was You . . .  
  
***  
  
Until you came along, I didn't know what I was. I was human, yes, but I wasn't really alive. Granted, my heart was beating and blood coursed through my veins, but I was never, ever truly alive.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
Sixth grade, Jinbou Elementary. Ha. What a stupid place for all of this to occur. And yet it did. For once in my life, I had let my guard down. Somehow . . . I still don't know how . . . but you forced your way into my mind; into my heart.  
  
Normally, I put up a wall to everyone. I don't talk; they don't listen. It was as simple as that. But you were different, weren't you? You were never the kind of person who would take that lying down. So you did something about it. I was always closed off to everyone.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
I always saw myself as a nobody. Well, a somebody, at least to our classmates, but nobody important. How could I be? My mother was dead, my sister might as well have been invisible, and my father hated me. What was there to look forward to in life?  
  
So I took it out on everyone else. It made me feel important for a little while – teasing and tormenting and running everything like the little monkey boss I was.  
  
It's funny how I went from the little boy I once was to the young man that I am today. It would have never happened, either . . .  
  
And then there was you.  
  
Slowly, you brought me out of my shell. Soon enough, I became obsessed with you. Once you took that job with Naozumi, I knew instantly that I had a rival. Tsuyoshi was a rival, but he wasn't a big deal. Naozumi was another story. I knew that he'd somehow turn you against me.  
  
Every night, I prayed that you would still stay by my side; it was always a distant thought that was always on the verge of shattering. And yet . . . you were still there. You always stayed by my side.  
  
I've never had anyone love me before.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
After your mom published that book, "My Daughter And I," I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to say. You were abandoned. That was even worse than me. My family sticks around; yours just left.  
  
I couldn't have begun to imagine what you must have been thinking about during all of that. To finally find out who you were and where you were from after eleven years of not knowing . . . it was just . . . unthinkable.  
  
At last, the message of the book got through. Your mother came. And after you had told me . . . you wanted me to come with you.  
  
I was shocked. Was I truly that important? So important that you wanted me by your side, even during the hardest time of your life? I didn't understand. I couldn't understand. Why would anyone treat me like I was a real person?  
  
Nobody had done that before.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
Soon enough, that obstacle was overcome and you were happy again. The same bouncy, cheerful, I've-had-way-too-much-sugar Sana. You were you again. When you threw our "half-birthday" party on Christmas, I thought it was the lamest idea. (Obviously). And to have all of our classmates there was even more embarrassing. Part of me wanted to crawl in a hole and die, but I stayed. I watched you play in the snow and feed the dogs and laugh.  
  
I felt alone. It suddenly occurred to me why you kept me around. I was just a stray. A stray that needed a home. You were just pitying me.  
  
I remember Tsuyoshi saying something interesting that night. He said, "She needs words, not actions." So, I tried to take his advice and attempt to put my feelings into words.  
  
Apparently . . . I'm not so good at that.  
  
So I kissed you. Again. What else could I have done? I'm not good with words. I never was. I guess that's what makes us different.  
  
I'd never thought of any of this before in my life.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
Summer came and went, and soon enough, we were in junior high. I didn't take much consideration into the prospect. I mean, it was the same school, with the same people, except we wore uniforms instead of regular clothes.  
  
We were in different classes, sure, but hey. I could deal. I mean, it wasn't THAT big of a deal. It's not like anything would change between us . . . right?  
  
Then you met Fuuka. You became friends with her. God, I pity that day. I can honestly say that at first, I didn't remember Fuuka at all. Kindergarten didn't even pass my mind. But after she told her story, I remembered. I started to feel guilty.  
  
When she asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend, I went along with it. I DID owe her for the whole kiss thing, plus . . . sushi. Who could pass up sushi?  
  
After awhile, I started to understand Fuuka better and better. We became good friends. So, when she asked me to be her boyfriend for real . . . I said yes.  
  
What else could I do? You were up in the mountains, and I thought for sure that you and Naozumi had hooked up. What's a guy to do? So, I agreed to Fuuka's suggestion and became her real boyfriend.  
  
It was pity on my part at first; I was lonely and I didn't think you'd ever be mine again, so I took the next best thing. But after a while, it wasn't just the next best thing anymore. Fuuka was a good friend, and a good girlfriend. I really liked her.  
  
When you came back, things were awkward. You seemed upset and angry and I didn't really want to deal with you. Plus, I figured you had Naozumi anyway. So I shrugged it off. At long last, I decided to break it off with Fuuka. I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed you. I loved you.  
  
I had never loved anyone before.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
We had to fill out those surveys in class a few weeks later. Kazuyuki Komori came up to me and asked me if he could list me as a friend. I honestly didn't even know the kid, so I told him the truth – "You should write down someone who's actually a friend."  
  
So what's he do? Threatens suicide and blames it on me, then goes and runs off! I still didn't even know the kid, but I took it upon myself to go and find him.  
  
When I get there, he's going on about us dying together. Excuse me? I really don't want to die, thank you. I tried to talk to him, and convince him to come back, and what does he do? He pulls a knife out on me. Not that I care or anything. He wants to stab me? Go right ahead.  
  
So he does. He stabs me right in the arm. It stings, and it's definitely bleeding, but I don't care. I wrap it up and we make our way back to the city, having a nice, long talk on our way.  
  
I blanked out after that. Apparently, I passed out and they did surgery on my arm. All I know is that when I woke up, my right hand was paralyzed. Great. Just great.  
  
Of course it was hard after that. My hand was as good as dead. I didn't give up karate, of course, but I had to start from the beginning. What a pain.  
  
But I never gave up. You encouraged me.  
  
No one had ever encouraged me before.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
Finally, our big news came. Moving. To Los Angeles. Everything was going perfect, and then . . . this happened.  
  
I begged my dad to let me stay. I BEGGED him. Of course I didn't want to leave you! I didn't want to be left all alone again . . . I wanted to stay.  
  
Something went wrong with you. Suddenly, you weren't Sana anymore. You were like . . . a doll. You had no expression. No emotion. It scared me.  
  
Your mother told me there was nothing I could do about it; that we had to let time heal you. I didn't HAVE time, Sana. I was leaving. I had to make you better before I left.  
  
Naozumi thought that he was the one who could make you better. Ha. Over my dead body. That little pretty-boy would NEVER take my place. You were mine, and mine only.  
  
We went through that entire ordeal together, and it was only after you saw your picture that you finally realized what happened. And it was only then that you got better. I still don't know if it was me or just plain old realization, but the fact of the matter is, you were you again.  
  
I'd never helped anyone before.  
  
And then there was you.  
  
At long last, the move came. My dad finally told me why he wanted me to come with him to Los Angeles. There was this doctor, that therapist who used karate as a treatment. He tried so hard to get me into the program, and he finally did. So I left.  
  
Two years later, I was able to come back. My hand was a little better and you were even bouncier than before, still helping people, still smiling. My heart instantly warmed up when I saw your face. I swear, I fell in love all over again.  
  
Granted, our night wasn't perfect; I mean, we had to go help that girl, T. But as long as I'm with you, I really don't care what happens. As long as I have the reassurance that you'll be at my side, I know I can make it through anything.  
  
To this day, I look back and wonder what would have happened to me if I didn't have that one special person. You. What would have become of me? Where would I be to this day? I love you, Sana. I always have. And I always will.  
  
I had never loved anyone before . . .  
  
And then there was you. 


End file.
